Angels Afterthoughts: When Trout doesn't go

Trout has 32 stolen bases this season, after nabbing 49 in five months last season, but there’s more to the story than that.

First, teams are focusing more on containing Trout, which means pitchers are generally worrying much more about being quick to the plate than they did last year.

But that also means they are taking some of their attention from the hitters when he’s on base.

“It’s giving guys at the plate a better look where the pitcher is a little more uncomfortable, staying in the slide step, so (Trout) still brings a presence,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

There was a key moment in tonight’s 5-4 victory when Trout didn’t steal. He was at first with one out in the eighth inning in a tie game. Josh Hamilton was at the plate. Scioscia said Trout had the green light to try to steal, but he couldn’t get a good jump against Steve Delabar, so he didn’t go.

But Hamilton then stroked a double through the hole – a ball that may have been caught if Trout had been at second and the first baseman had been playing his normal position. Trout went to third and scored the go-ahead run.

* Hamilton, meanwhile, is still sizzling.

With three hits and a walk tonight, he’s now batting .357 in his last 30 games. His average is up to .247.

* It wasn’t all rosy for the Angels in their 14th victory in their past 19 games.

C.J. Wilson failed to back up third base in the fourth inning, allowing the Blue Jays to score when the throw got past Andrew Romine.

In the eighth, on the play that the go-ahead run scored, Hamilton got caught in a rundown between second and third, for the third out of the inning.

Kole Calhoun also got picked off, but Scioscia said that was just a nice play by the Blue Jays to sniff out the steal and make a good move.

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